Des Moines native to appear on ABC show ‘Shark Tank’

Des Moines native Jordan Lloyd Bookey, daughter of BH Management Services LLC founder Harry Bookey, will appear on the April 18 episode of the popular ABC television show “Shark Tank.”

Jordan and her husband, Felix Brandon Lloyd, will appear on the show to pitch their Washington, D.C.-based business, Zoobean. Zoobean is a “Pandora for kids’ apps and books,” which personalizes selections based on a child’s age, interests and reading level.

Companies on “Shark Tank” pitch their business model to a panel of potential investors that includes Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and venture capitalist Kevin O’Leary. Bookey and Lloyd went to Los Angeles last summer to go in front of the panel and tape the segment but didn’t know if it would actually air on television.

The couple isn’t allowed to say whether their company got funded before the segment airs.

Zoobean was discovered by one of the show’s producers, who read about the company in a blog post. Ironically, Bookey and Lloyd had canceled a trip to Philadelphia to audition for the show just days before they heard from the producer.

In going in front of the panel, Bookey said, she and her husband learned the importance of having a succinct pitch, and to be as prepared as possible while still expecting the unexpected.

“It was a very positive experience,” Bookey said. “It was very surreal to us, as you might imagine.”